Don’t Knock It…

Pear and ricotta gelato

Rio Mare Tonno e Piselli

…til you try it. Sometimes that can be the case with food. Rio Mare, a purveyor of canned tuna in Italy, makes cans of tuna with different veggies that sit in oil. My favorite has been the Tonno & Piselli (tuna with peas). These Rio Mare treats can be found in some US supermarkets and specialty stores. Near Cherry Hill, I know Croce’s market sells some Rio Mare products.

While out for a passiagiatta (evening stroll) last night I tried two types of interesting gelato. One was fig in a rum flavored gelato, and the other was a pear and ricotta gelato. Both are flavors that are uncommon, but both were delicious.

Always Save Some Sauce

I always clean my pasta plate with bread

A lot of people talk about the proper way to eat something, or etiquette when dining. One thing I always strive to do is to save some sauce or gravy for the end. Then I break apart pieces of bread and use them to dip up the remaining sauce. If it’s not something you normally do, try to save some sauce next time to dip your bread. 

Success can be Simple

Fresh cantaloupe

When it comes to dessert, sometimes the simple things can be best. Today, I sliced up a fresh cantaloupe. The scent and flavor of the melon completely satisfied my sweet tooth.  Here's the recipe: skinned and sliced cantaloupe.

Flavor Bombs

Notice the potatoes a.k.a. Flavor Bombs

One trick I’ve learned recently is to add slices of potato to things that I’m roasting. The potatoes do not affect the flavor of things. However, they do soak up the taste of the dish and act like little flavor bombs when you bite into them. Fingerling or Dutch Yellow potato slices would work best. 

Love Your Leftovers

Finding creative ways to make leftovers feel new is one of the most fun things about cooking. All summer long, I find new ways to make a delicious tomato sauce just a little different for three days in a row. But finding things to do with your restaurant leftovers is fun too.

Chinese is my favorite to play with. Admittedly, I can't cook Chinese food to save my life. Some Asian cuisine and flavors yes, Chinese food no. So when I order, or over-order, I like to make the leftovers a little different. The key is saving the white rice.

The second go around for the Chinese food for me is usually turned into a "whatever" fired rice. Recently I made the dish pictured here, a General Tso's Fried Rice. I took the leftover rice, some soy sauce, and some olive oil and got it going in a fry pan. I added some leftover broccoli, the General Tso's and when it was all nice and hot, I dropped in an egg. It was certainly different, and the spicy sweetness from the General Tso's sauce and the saltiness of the soy sauce made for a great combination.